Modular flooring system

ABSTRACT

A modular wood flooring system comprising a plurality of multi-layer flooring sections, provided in pre-measured sectional units and adapted for rapid installation is disclosed. Each flooring section includes a resilient bottom layer, an intermediate sub-floor layer, and a top wood flooring layer. The ends of adjoining sections are staggered to avoid the appearance of a straight line seam. Each flooring section further includes a top edge portion adapted with a recessed latching mechanism to allow the sections to be mechanically connected. A first flooring section is adapted with a male latch member and a second flooring section is adapted with a female latch receiving member for receiving the male latch member of an adjoining first flooring section. The latching mechanism is recessed into an opening formed in the intermediate plywood sub-floor layer and configured so as to be generally flush therewith to permit the latch to be covered by a portion of wood flooring laterally projecting from an adjacent flooring section. The latching mechanism is manually configurable between latched and un-latched configurations without requiring tools.

MODULAR FLOORING SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Officepatent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights rightswhatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to flooring systems, and moreparticularly to a sectional made-to-measure engineered wood flooringsystem having a plurality of pre-assembled wood flooring sectionsadapted with mechanical latching mechanisms for rapid and efficientinstallation.

2. Description of Related Art

Wood flooring is a popular floor covering choice for homes, commercialenvironments, and public facilities. There are many types, sizes,colors, application methods, and the variety of wood floor speciescurrently on the market. Wood flooring material is commonly available insolid wood, engineered wood, and acrylic impregnated forms. Solid woodflooring comprises a single piece of wood from top to bottom and isavailable in a variety of species, stains and finishes. Engineered woodflowing consists of layers of wood pressed together, with the grainsrunning in different directions, and is typically available in 3 and 5ply. Because the grains run in different directions, engineered woodflowing is more dimensionally stable than solid wood. Acrylicimpregnated wood flowing is fabricated by a process where acrylics areinjected into the wood itself, creating a super-hard, extremely durablefloor. This type of flooring is often used in commercial installations,like shopping malls and restaurants, however, they are right at home inbusy households as well.

Installation of wood flooring is typically a time consuming process thatgenerates substantial wood flooring waste product. Wood flooring istypically installed plank by plank in a time consuming process that andgenerates approximately 10%-15% waste as planks are cut and trimmed tofit the space. In addition, job site conditions often require theinstallation of a plywood sub-floor and sound attenuating underlayment.Underlayment is typically required for installation of laminate flooringor engineered real wood flooring. The function of underlayment is toabsorb some of the minor imperfections in the sub-floor, and to helpdeaden sound when walking on the floor. Accordingly, the underlaymentreduces overhead sound in rooms below the flooring in addition tolessening the affects of sub-floor imperfections. The sound reducingquality is especially true of cork underlayment. Accordingly, woodflooring installation is a costly, time consuming, and wasteful process.

As a result of the recognized disadvantages associated with conventionalwood flooring systems, the background art reveals a number of attemptsto improve the efficiency of conventional wood flooring systems andinstallation techniques. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,219, issued toTramill, discloses a portable sectional elevated floor that may bedisposed compactly for transportation and quickly assembled. U.S. Pat.No. 1,778,352, issued to Bruce, discloses short pieces of flooringformed into unitary blocks that are installed and connected using splineand groove structures. U.S. Pat. No. 1,925,070, issued to Livezey,discloses wood block flooring laid on a plastic cement sub-floor. U.S.Pat. No. 2,652,753, issued to Smith, discloses intermeshing sectionalmatting adapted for forming ground level platforms and walkways.

The background art further reveals attempts directed to providingsectional flooring systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,420, issuedto Davis, discloses a wooden mat assembly for construction of temporaryroadway surfacing. The wooden mat assembly is formed from interlockingmats, each mat being formed from a plurality of layers or boards, eachlayer being formed from boards parallel to each other and perpendicularto boards forming the adjacent layer, the layers being fastened togetherat points of intersection by screw shank nails or other fastening means.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,392, issued to Hamar, discloses portablesectionalized flooring suitable for a basketball court or the like isassembled from a plurality of separate floor sections arranged in rowswith each section composed of interengaged tongue and groove stripsdefining the floor surface, spaced stringers extending transversely ofsuch strips and an underlayment interposed between the strips andstringers. The sections are adapted with interlocking finger joints andsecured by latch devices.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,131, issued to Wilson, discloses, interlockingsections for portable floors and the like. The interlocking memberslatch a male member and a female member fitting into recesses along theedges of the floor section. A release mechanism, actuated by an Allenkey wrench, has a cam member which engages springs to release the malelocking member.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,839, issued to Hamar, discloses a method andapparatus for the construction of a two-layer flooring system formed byinterlocking both the ends and sides of a plurality of mat units. Eachof the mat units includes two layers of boards, and includes end lockingtabs extending beyond the edge of the first layer and corresponding endlocking slots, formed by offsetting selected boards.

The references disclosed in the background art include complex sectionalflooring systems that fail to adequately address problems existing inthe art. More particularly, the flooring systems of the background artfail to provide a modular sectional flooring system wherein each sectionis comprised of sub-floor and underlayment layers and adapted with asimple mechanical latching mechanism to allow for sections to be quicklyand easily installed and secured. Accordingly, there exists a need foran improved sectional wood flooring system that overcomes thelimitations and disadvantages present in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the limitations and disadvantages in theart by providing a modular wood flooring system comprising a pluralityof multi-layer flooring sections, provided in pre-measured sectionalunits each including a resilient bottom layer, an intermediate sub-floorlayer, and a top wood flooring layer. The ends of adjoining sections arepreferably staggered to avoid the appearance of a straight line seam.Each flooring section further includes a laterally projecting edgeportion adapted with a recessed latching mechanism to allow the sectionsto be mechanically connected. More particularly, a first flooringsection is adapted with a male latch member and a second flooringsection is adapted with a female latch member for receiving the malelatch member of an adjoining first flooring section. The latchingmechanism is recessed into an opening formed in the intermediate plywoodsub-floor layer and configured so as to be generally flush therewith topermit the latch to be covered by a portion of wood flooring laterallyprojecting from an adjacent flooring section. The latching mechanism ismanually configurable between latched and un-latched configurationswithout requiring tools.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved modular flooring system that may be fabricated in made-to-orderdimensional specifications for rapid installation with little or nowaste.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a flooringsystem wherein each section comprises a multi-layer configurationincluding a resilient underlayment layer, an intermediate plywoodsub-floor layer, and a top wood flooring layer.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such aflooring system adapted with a mechanical latching mechanism tofacilitate rapid mechanical connection of adjoining sections.

These and other objects are met by the present invention which willbecome more apparent from the accompanying drawing and the followingdetailed description of the drawings and preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded plan view showing a plurality of modular woodflooring sections in separated relation;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the modular wood flooring sections shownin FIG. 1 in a joined configuration;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are end views of sections in the separated and joinedconfigurations respectively;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing modular flooring sectionshaving an alternate staggered end configuration in a separatedconfiguration;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view thereof with the sections in a joinedconfiguration;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the mechanical latchingmechanism formed by a male latching member on a first flooring sectionand a female latch receiving member on a second flooring section;

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the mechanical latching mechanism inthe un-latched configuration;

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view thereof depicting the male latchingmember pivoting from the un-latched configuration; and

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view thereof depicting the mechanicallatching mechanism in the latched configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-10 depict a preferredembodiment of a sectional wood flooring system, generally referenced as10, in accordance with the present invention. As best illustrated inFIGS. 1-4, wood flooring system 10 comprises a plurality of multi-layerflooring sections, referenced as 12 a-12 i adapted for installation incovering relation with an underlying surface in interlocking matingrelation. Each flooring section 12, has opposing ends that are eitherlinear or staggered depending on the intended placement of the sections.For example, sections 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 g, 12 h, and 12 i, each havea linear end and an opposing staggered end. The linear edge is intendedfor placement adjacent to a wall while the staggered end is intended forinterlocking adjoining relation with similarly staggered end formed byan adjacent section to avoid the appearance of a straight line seam.Similarly, sections 12 d, 12 e, 12 f, have opposing ends that areterminate in a staggered configuration and are thus intended forinstallation in an intermediate position. In a typical installationflooring system 10 is installed in a residential or commercial buildingin covering relation with an otherwise unfinished concrete floor.Flooring sections are preferably fabricated in accordance with thedimensional specifications for a particular job to allow for thefabrication, shipment, and installation of a wood floor that preciselyfits a space without requiring significant cutting or trimming. In apreferred embodiment, sections are fabricated of uniform width andvarying lengths to allow a floor to be formed to fit most common roomsizes. For example, sections may me dimensioned each with a width of 2feet, and lengths of 1 foot, 3 feet, and 5 feet respectively therebyallowing for combinations to provide a wide variety of dimensions.

In a preferred embodiment, each flooring section 12 includes a resilientbottom layer 14, an intermediate sub-floor layer 16, a top wood flooringlayer 18, and a latching mechanism 20. Resilent bottom layer 14preferably comprises cork, however, any suitable resilient underlaymentis considered within the scope of the present invention. As noted hereinabove, the resilient underlayment 14 absorbs minor imperfections in thesupporting unfinished concrete floor, and helps deaden sound.Intermediate sub-floor layer 16 preferably comprises plywood of suitablethickness (e.g. nominal ½″ or ¾″ thickness) and provides a structuresuitable for attachment to resilient bottom layer 14 on the bottomsurface thereof and the wood flooring layer 20 18 on the top surfacethereof. Upper wood floor layer 18 may comprise any suitable laminate orengineered wood flooring.

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict alternately shaped modular wood flooring sections,generally referenced as 12 j and 12 k. Each flooring section 12 includesa resilient bottom layer 14, an intermediate sub-floor layer 16, a topwood flooring layer 18, and a latching mechanism 20. As discussed inmore detail below, intermediate sub-floor layer 16 has a lateral edge 17that projects outward from the corresponding lateral edge of the upperwood flooring layer 18. Projecting lateral edge 17 is adapted with anupwardly projecting tongue 19 and mechanical latching hardware,generally referenced as 20, as best seen in FIG. 6. More particularly,intermediate sub-floor layer 16 has an edge portion 17 adapted withmechanical latching hardware, namely a latch mechanism 20 that functionsto fix adjoining sections in the installed position. In addition, edgeportion 17 is further adapted with an upwardly projecting tongue 19configured for mating tongue and groove connection to a groove 15defined in the undersurface of an overlapping edge portion of an upperlayer 18 from an adjacent section.

As best seen in FIGS. 7-10, each latch mechanism comprises a male latchmember 22 and a female latch receiving member 24, each of which arereceivably disposed within corresponding openings formed withinintermediate plywood layer 16 as best illustrated in FIG. 3. Male latchmember 22 includes a latch housing 26 adapted with resilient side wallclips 28 that engage intermediate plywood layer 16 and provide forsecured snap fit engagement therewith. Latch housing 26 further includeslatch 30 secured thereto in pivotal relation therewith by a pivot pin 32insertedly received within an aperture 33 on the proximal end thereof.Latch 30 further includes an intermediate body portion having first andsecond projecting anchors, referenced as 34 and 36, that function toengage portions of the latch mechanism in the latched configuration. Inaddition, latch 30 includes a distal end portion forming a resilientclip 38 that functions to retain latch 30 in either the unlatchedconfiguration depicted in FIG. 8 or the latched configuration shown inFIG. 10. It should be noted that male latch member, including latchhousing 26 and latch 30 are generally flush (or slightly recessed)relative to the top surface of intermediate plywood layer 16 j so as toenable a projecting portion of wood flooring from and adjacent sectionto project thereover in covering relation therewith so as to conceallatch mechanism 20 in the finished installation. Female latch receivingmember 24 comprises a latch receiving housing received within an openingformed in intermediate plywood layer 16 k. Female latch receiving member24 includes resilient side wall clips 25 that engage intermediateplywood layer 16 k and provide for secured snap fit engagementtherewith. In an alternate embodiment, latch members 22 and 24 may besecured to intermediate plywood layer 16 by fasteners. As illustrated inFIG. 1, sections are configured with either one or two latch members.For example, section 12 a, which is intended for installation with oneend up against a wall includes a single male latch member, whereassection 12 d which is an intermediate section includes a male latchmember at one end and a female latch receiving member at the other end.An advantage of the he latch mechanism disclosed herein is the abilityto configure the latch between latched and unlatched configurationswithout the use of special tools.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 8-10, latching mechanism functions tosecure adjoining flooring sections once said sections are placed inadjacent relation by pivoting latch member 30 from the unlatchedconfiguration shown in FIG. 8, upward as illustrated in FIG. 9, and intoa latched configuration in engagement with female latch receiving member24 as seen in FIG. 10. As illustrated in FIG. 10, once in the latchedconfiguration the entire latching mechanism is recessed into openingsformed in the intermediate plywood sub-floor layers and configured so asto be generally flush therewith to permit latching mechanism 20 to becovered by a portion of wood flooring laterally projecting from anadjacent flooring section.

In addition, a significant aspect of the present invention includesproviding a latching mechanism is manually configurable between latchedand un-latched configurations without requiring tools. Moreparticularly, the resilient distal end 38 of latch member 30 may bedisengaged from latch housing 26 and moved from the unlatchedconfiguration to the latched configuration manually without the need fortools. Similarly, the resilient distal end 38 of latch member 30 may bedisengaged from female latch receiving member 24 and moved from thelatched to the unlatched configuration manually without the need fortools.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what isconsidered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It isrecognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within thescope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled in the art.

1. A modular flooring system comprising: a plurality of modular flooringsections, including first and second connectable flooring sections, eachof said flooring sections having at least one end terminating instaggered configuration; said first and second flooring sections eachincluding a resilient layer, an intermediate rigid layer, and a top woodfloor layer; said intermediate rigid layer having a lateral edge portionprojecting beyond the corresponding lateral edge of said top wood floorlayer; said lateral edge portion of said first flooring sectionincluding a male latch mechanism; said lateral edge portion of saidsecond flooring section including a female latch receiving mechanism;said first and second flooring sections connectable in end to endrelation and selectively secured by engagement of said male latchmechanism on said first flooring section with said female latchreceiving mechanism on said second flooring section.
 2. A modularflooring system according to claim 1, wherein said lateral edge portionprojecting beyond the corresponding lateral edge of said top wood floorlayer further includes a raised tongue.
 3. A modular flooring systemcomprising: a plurality of modular flooring sections, including firstand second connectable flooring sections, each of said flooring sectionshaving opposing side edges and opposing ends with at least one endterminating in staggered configuration; each flooring section includinga resilient layer, an intermediate rigid layer, and a top wood floorlayer, said an intermediate rigid layer having a projecting lateral sideedge extending beyond the corresponding lateral side edge of said topwood floor layer and adapted with at least one latch mechanism and anupwardly projecting raised tongue, said top wood floor layer having aprojecting opposing lateral side edge extending beyond the correspondinglateral side edge of said intermediate rigid layer, said projectingopposing lateral side edge having an undersurface defining a recessedgroove; said first and second flooring sections connectable inend-to-end relation and selectively secured by engagement of said atleast one latch mechanism on said first flooring section with said atleast one latch mechanism on said second flooring section.
 4. A modularflooring system according to claim 3, further including a thirdconnectable flooring section having opposing side edges and opposingends, said third flooring section disposed in adjacent side-by-siderelation with said first flooring section such that said projectinglateral side edge of said third flooring section is disposed inoverlapping relation with said projecting lateral side edge of saidintermediate rigid layer of said first floor section such that therecessed groove defined on the undersurface thereof engages the tonguedefined on said first flooring section so as to secure said thirdflooring section relative to said first flooring section.
 5. A modularflooring system according to claim 3, wherein said latch mechanismcomprises a male latch member receivably disposed within a correspondingopening defined in said intermediate rigid layer of said first flooringsection, and a female latch receiving member receivably disposed withina corresponding opening defined in said intermediate rigid layer of saidsecond flooring section.
 6. A modular flooring system according to claim5, wherein said male latch member is pivotally adjustable between anunlatched configuration to a latched configuration without the use oftools.
 7. A modular flooring system according to claim 6, wherein saidmale latch member comprises a latch secured in pivotal relation withsaid flooring section by a pivot pin inserted through a proximal endthereof, an intermediate body portion having first and second projectinganchors for engaging portions of said female latch receiving member inthe latched configuration, and a distal end portion forming a resilientclip for retaining that functions to retain said latch in either latchedor unlatched configurations.